Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Turning dreams into classrooms: Reginald Peters and SBISD’s Thrive Program

September 3, 2025 5:00 AM

When Reginald Peters was in third grade, he often got in trouble for “playing” with his teacher’s overhead projector. One day she told him, “When you become a teacher, you can use it as much as you want.” That Christmas, his father gifted him his very own projector. Peters proudly wrote a letter back to his teacher: “I don’t have to wait—I already have one.”

That moment lit a spark in him—a spark that has guided his 24-year career as an educator, mentor and leader.

A first-generation college graduate from East Texas, Peters knows what it means to navigate unfamiliar territory and break barriers. His own journey through community college, university and graduate studies shaped his mission: to open doors so that every student—and now aspiring teacher—can see their dreams become reality.

His career began in the theatre classroom, where he inspired students to use their voices and embrace their creativity. Over the years, his work expanded into higher education and administration, building pathways like dual credit, P-TECH programs and early college high schools. Each role carried the same purpose: to ensure that students had the support and opportunities they deserved.

Now, Peters has returned full circle to Spring Branch ISD (SBISD), where his administrative career first began. As director of THRIVE SBISD, he leads the district’s innovative program designed to help SBISD employees—paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, support staff and more—take the next step toward becoming certified teachers.

“This work is deeply personal to me,” Peters said. “We’re not just growing teachers; we’re growing teachers who already know and love our students. Watching them step into that moment of confidence—realizing, ‘Yes, I can do this. I can become the teacher I’ve always dreamed of being,’—is incredibly inspiring. That’s the heart of SBISD: we lift one another up, not only for our students but also for the adults who serve them every day.”

That belief in lifting each other connects directly to the SBISD core value that resonates most with him—collaborative spirit. “My theatre background taught me that true success is never a solo act,” Peters said. “Actors, directors, designers and crew all come together to create something greater than themselves. Education works the same way. We thrive when we work together.”

For Peters, returning to SBISD is more than a career move; it’s a homecoming. “This district is truly special,” he said. “Here, collaboration is real. Every child. Every way. Every minute. Every day. It’s not just something we say—it’s how we live and work. And now, through THRIVE, we’re preparing the next generation of educators who will carry these values forward.”